1. GENESIS The Beginnings

2. 1 Author: Not mentioned but Jesus seemed to assume that Moses was the author of the Pentateuch (John 5:46) and early and reliable tradition ascribes the authorship to Moses. Where did Moses get information? Abraham was from Hebron in the Mesopotamia area where writing began in about 3000 BC. So Abraham probably had scrolls of writings with him including Babylonian creation myth. Other creation stories also existed but all were polytheistic, crassly mythological, very verbose.

3. 2 Reasonable to assume God had Moses correct the other accounts to show Him as monotheistic. Account also rather brief. First two chapters have been source of controversy among Christians and others for many years and continues to be so. Christians should not use creation theories as dividing lines. However, we must believe that God created visible and invisible and maintains such (Col 2:16-17). Must concentrate on Matt 28:19-20 and Phil 2:12.

4. 3 Many creation theories: six-day creation, theistic evolution, gap theory, intelligent design, bio logos, framework model, analogical day’s model, day-age interpretation, and progressive creation are a few that do not dismiss the Creator. Of course atheistic evolution must be denied by Christians. Why many theories? Basically two reasons: apologetics and reconcile Scripture with science or general revelation with specific revelation.

5. 4 Apologetics is a bad reason for God gives faith and it is not developed by man. A person argued into something can be argued out of it by someone also. But faith from God never wavers. Reconciling general revelation with special or specific revelation is a good motive for when both are properly understood they must be in agreement since both are from God. When engaged in this effort, special revelation must have priority but both must be interpreted properly.

6. 5 Points of general revelation that must be considered. Speed of light (186,000 miles/sec) is constant. One light year (ly) is ~6 trillion miles. Closest galaxy is ~2 million ly’s away. Milky Way has about 200 billion stars. Universe is still expanding at an incredible rate and is HUGE. Working backward from current positions and speed of light, it certainly seems that the universe is ~16 billion years old. The earth seems to be ~8 billion years old and current man seems to be ~8000 years old. Many other aspects just cannot be ignored.

7. 6 Age of man: Man is not the “man” of the fossil record. It was about 8000 years ago that we see in archeological evidence the domestication of plants and animals, the building of cities, the invention of pottery, the rudimentary beginnings of writing, etc. Such events are correlated in scripture with Cain building a city, Tubal-cain working with metals (Gen 4:2), and Jubal making music (Gen 4:21). God is the Creator but we do not know the details. Gen 1:1, Psa 136:5-9, Psa 19:1 all praise the Creator.

8. 7: Gen 1:1 “DAY” one. The beginnings means the creation of time. The heavens and the earth must include all matter as consistent with other Bible use of these words: Gen 14:19, 22; Exodus 31:17; 2 Kings 19:15; 1 Chron 29:11; 2 Chron 2:12; Psalm 115:15, 121:2, 124:8, 134:3; Jer 23:24, 32:17, 51:48. However some people say otherwise but any other interpretation is not Biblical. So in verse one we see God creating time, matter, and space but we do not know the time involved in this creation.

9. 8: Gen 1:2 We get into some trouble here also for we read that God did not create the earth a waste place: Isa 45:18 For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it a waste place, But formed it to be inhabited), "I am the Lord, and there is none else. So how did the earth become formless and void? One theory is that Satan initially had fallen from heaven and ruled earth during the time between the first two verses so that it became formless and void. No way to prove that from the Bible but the Bible does teach that evil existed at the time of Adam..

10. 9 Gen 1:3 Dinosaurs could have existed during Satan’s rule and the event causing their destruction would have left the earth formless and void. There would also have been a covering of the earth that resulted from the destruction. This would have led to: Gen 1:3. Letting there be light would mean that light was allowed to be seen on earth as the covering was removed or made less opaque. Light would have existed from the beginning since stars and other heavenly bodies were made. But now the light was allowed to be seen on the surface: phenomenological rather than noumenological.

11. 10 Gen 1:5 “Day” is a translation of “yom” and many theologians say this word does not have to mean a 24-hour day period. Moses and Peter wrote of the relative meaning of time to God in Psa 90:4 and 2 Peter 3:8. Material was written to people with an entirely different culture and philosophy that today. Western thought is of linear time but in Moses’ time the people had a cyclical view of time. So what would “And there was evening and there was morning, one day” mean? Such is a common poetical writing just indicating that the time when something was being done is complete. We will note that this is not included at the end of day seven.

12. 11: Gen 1:6-8; 9-13, “Day” two and three During this time period God separated the water in the atmosphere from the water on the land and called the atmosphere heaven: Jews refer to this as the first heaven with the second being space and the third being where God is. Gen 1:9-13. God named the dry land earth and the waters seas. He also commanded the earth to sprout vegetation of many varieties. We cannot know how the earth brought forth this vegetation or how long it took. They require light but all such sources were made initially in the creation of the heavens and the earth. The individual types of trees and plants all came forth in their own variety and with seeds to make more of their types. If trees came forward with rings to imitate years of growth then that would seem deceitful and God is not deceitful. So it seems that this was a long time period.

13. 12: Gen 1:14-19 “Day” four This set of verses tells us that God placed the sun, moon, and stars in a manner to be able to help man in dealing with creation. Signs can mean a way to navigate, seasons would be for the growing seasons, and days and years for obvious reasons. All these objects were made in the initial creation act but now placed phenomenologically for man. “Let there be” does not mean created but their purpose. Verse 16 does not contradict original creation but just restates that they were all made by God. We cannot know the total time for “day” four and it could be that from now on we could use the 24-hour time designation since the bodies are placed accordingly. Many people think just keep the same unknown time for “day”.

14. 13: Day five In Gen 1:21 the Bible uses the word “created” that is used only on days 1, 5, and 6. In verse 1 all material is created and on days 5 and 6 living beings are made so the word is used to designate a new order. It is not used for vegetation on day three for they are not living beings. So all sea creatures and birds in the sky were made on day five but if we continue to take a “day” to be an indeterminate time period then we do not know how long this took. Also IF the Satan postulate is true then the biological matter for the animals would be present and God modified it to bring forth the type of animals He desired. Big if, but possible. We now see the first time for the notion of blessing to occur because this is life.

15. 14: Day six Gen 1:24, 25 animals Now God brings forth land animals but the word “bara” is not used for them. Three types: cattle, creeping things, beasts of the earth. All made after its kind so no room for macroscopic evolution or changes in kinds. Note in the vegetation the land brings forth the vegetation and there is no comment about God making them as it is for the animals in verse 25. So living animals are very special and require the hand of God to bring them forth whereas the land contains all that is needed (placed by God) for their appearance to begin.

16. 15: Day Six, Gen 1:26-31 Now God creates man and he is very special so the word “bara” is used in verse 27. Man is a very special creature who is created in the image of the Creator. Gender was not specified with animals so this is special also as they were made to be a pair in marriage. They were given dominion over the earth and all that is in it so they were the viceroy or regent of creation. They were made in the image of God, in His likeness is parallelism so the point is the image. They have reasoning and creative ability and an understanding of right and wrong (soul). It also means spirit so man had body, soul, and spirit.

17. 16: Day Six, Gen 1:26-31 How about the plural form of God? Some have said this is from the Babylonian account involving many gods but the entire OT refutes that. Most people think it relates to the Trinity and that being in the image of God involving a trinity (body, soul, and spirit) is imaging God in that aspect. Mankind and all animals were initially to eat vegetables and fruit. Note in verse 28 the blessing of God that was already given to the animals in verse 22. Since man is then commanded to multiply the blessing is intended to extend to his seed also. The blessing is carried over into the OT times as extremely important (Gen 27:19).

18. 17: Day Seven, Gen 2:1-3 In verse one we see that all creation is complete. Now God “rested”, which means that He had completed all creation as intended before the foundation was laid. Now “normal” time can proceed. Note the usual ending to the day is not given and that is because it has not yet ceased. God is still very busy: Col 1:17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. John 5:17 But He answered them, "My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working." He also is causing all to be “good” for His children (Rom 8:28).This “day” has continued and will continue until the End Times when a new heaven and a new earth will be created. Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.